Radebe backtracks

Lucas Radebe, the Leeds United and South Africa captain, has changed his mind and decided not to retire from international football.

But Radebe will not play for South Africa very often following club versus country clashes that led the defender to hint he would abandon the national team he has represented 63 times. A series of meetings in South Africa with government and football officials when he returned for a World Cup qualifier against Burkina Faso convinced Radebe retirement was too drastic a move.

"I still dream of leading my country at the 2002 World Cup finals in Japan and South Korea," said Radebe.

But a deal struck between Leeds and a South African Football Association delegation led by president Molefi Oliphant gives first option to Leeds when dates clash.

This rules the central defender out of World Cup qualifiers against Malawi on February 25th and Guinea two weeks later.

Former England coach Glenn Hoddle, now Southampton manager, has declared an interest in returning to international management.

He told the Mail on Sunday: "I'm still young enough and I would love the particular challenge of international football. It would probably not be with England but with another country. Somewhere like the USA would be a great challenge one day.

"Purely on the football front, I would take the England job again, but I wouldn't consider it if the people who did not support me were still at the FA."